5 World Series Questions with Kansas City Royals Broadcaster Joel Goldberg

The World Series hype has engulfed Kansas City and the young players who compose its roster. The national media has done a great job educating the rest of the world on this exciting young team that no one seems to have noticed.

The San Francisco Giants and the rest of the world are about to be introduced to the Royals in a real way. While the world will learn more about the Royals through the national coverage, some information will still remain uncovered. 

Joel Goldberg hosts the pregame and postgame show, Royals Live, for Fox Sports Kansas City. He has just completed his seventh season as a Royals reporter. If there is anyone who can provide insight into the Royals, Goldberg seems like the right guy to talk to.

Goldberg agreed to share his thoughts on the team, the players, the manager and the World Series. His responses to five questions about the Kansas City Royals and the World Series follow.

Information contained in this article was obtained firsthand by the author.

Which Kansas City Royals Player Is Being Overlooked by the National Media?

Matt Slocum/Associated Press

The national media has introduced fans to many of the players on the Kansas City roster that it may have overlooked. A lot has been said about Lorenzo Cain and his rise to stardom after not playing organized baseball prior to his sophomore year of high school. Andy McCullough of The Kansas City Star brought that fact to light back in May. Now, it's all people are talking about.

But what about the rest of the Royals? Is there a player in Kansas City who the world is not talking about but should be? Goldberg replies:

"I feel like the country now knows Lorenzo Cain and I think Alex Gordon, Salvador Perez, Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas. Alcides Escobar still flies under the radar. Here's another premium defender who played 162 games at shortstop this season that moved into the leadoff spot in September from the bottom of the lineup. Escobar's playing the spark plug role and offering more speed to an already fast lineup, and he's the piece, along with Cain, who has made the Zack Greinke trade prior to the 2011 season a huge success for the Royals."

Escobar has been an up-and-down player for a while now. He seems to be figuring it out this season, putting together a decent season at the plate and being on the field for every one of his team's games. His defense is outstanding though he has found himself without the Gold Glove to show for it to this point. 

Escobar has the makeup of the type of player who can sway the series for the Royals. His work in the field can change an inning quickly. Cain, Hosmer, Gordon, Moustakas and Butler have a much easier job ahead of them if Escobar can continue to get on base at the top of the order.

Has Ned Yost Finally Silenced Some of His Critics?

Credit: Fox Sports Kansas City

Ned Yost is a polarizing figure in Kansas City. For years, fans have felt that it would take a change in management for the team to find success. Yost was often looked at as the person who the team won in spite of, not because of. 

The American League Championship Series seemed like a mismatch. Yost would go up against Buck Showalter. Both managers would be looking to prove something. The world expected Showalter to be the one who came out of that series silencing critics. Yost seemed to turn the tide. Has Yost truly silenced his critics? Goldberg answers:

"I think winning always helps silence the critics. The Wall Street Journal headline prior to the Orioles series was 'The Chess Master vs. The Dunce.' Buck Showalter now has a career 9-13 playoff record as a manager and no wins in a league championship while Yost is 8-0. He went from being booed by the home crowd following his decision to pitch Yordano Ventura in relief against Oakland to cheered after winning the pennant. He's now an almost certain future Royals Hall of Famer."

Hall of Famer or not, Yost has definitely cast aside the "can't win" mantra. The matchup with Showalter was interesting. It certainly went the opposite of what most critics anticipated.

He still makes some mistakes. The Ventura situation that Goldberg notes is an obvious one. Fans have warmed up to him a bit, but Kansas City can be a fickle fanbase. It is on his side going into the series, but if he costs the team a game or two with his management style, it will be seeking his resignation anyway.

Will the Kansas City Royals' Running Game Be More or Less Aggressive?

Matt Slocum/Associated Press

The Kansas City Royals running game has been on display for the world to see so far this postseason. The Royals bench is configured in a way to make the most out of speed and defense late in games. It has led Royals broadcaster Rex Hudler to coin the phrase, "That's what speed do", and the fans have embraced it.

The running game changes the game drastically. It can impact it based on the actual stolen bases successfully converted. It can also impact the way the defense plays. What impact will it have on the World Series matchup with the San Francisco Giants? Goldberg responds:

"The Royals were 12-of-13 in the stolen base department vs. Oakland and the Angels but just 1-of-3 against Baltimore. I do believe that while the Orioles controlled the running game, Kansas City's running threat played a part in the series, and that may have affected the opposition. I expect that trend will continue with San Francisco. Whether it shows up with actual stolen bases or not remains to be seen."

The Orioles went so far as to have the first baseman hold runners on in a unique way. The defender would almost take a leadoff of his own, trying to keep the runner close. It almost appeared that the Orioles were defending the runner the way one basketball player defends another.

There is no denying that the Royals' speed is a game-changing asset. Giants catcher Buster Posey and the pitching staff will aim to control the runners as much as possible. If that proves to be a huge distraction, or if the Royals can find a way to be successful when running, the Royals will gain a huge advantage.

Did Winning the AL Championship Increase the Chance of James Shields Returning?

Credit: Fox Sports Kansas City

The World Series is just getting started, yet the future looms large for the Kansas City Royals. The team is accustomed to looking at the future by this point in the season. The next step for the team is important even if the current step is as big as a potential World Series championship.

One of the biggest questions surrounding the upcoming offseason for the Royals centers around pitcher James Shields and his impending free agency. Earlier in the season, it was a foregone conclusion in most minds that Shields would depart the Royals for more money than the team was willing to pay. Now that the team has found late-season success, it is fair to be curious if one will affect the other. Goldberg responds:

"It's actually easy for me not to focus on the future because for the first time in more than a quarter century, the future can wait until November. Since you asked, I think re-signing Shields will be a challenge regardless of playoff results because numerous teams will be there offering four- and five-year deals in my opinion. I'm not sure it will make sense to try and compete with the open market when there may be other options that make more sense. With that said, I think the Royals will at least try."

Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported that the Royals let Shields and his agent know that they would be interested to discuss his potential return after the conclusion of this season. Letting Shields hit the open market may be a decision that the Royals regret. Despite their current success, they are still a small-market team and would be well-advised to avoid a bidding war for the pitcher.

For Royals fans, it may be time to let themselves get caught up in the moment of the here and now. That said, replacing Shields may be a daunting task if they cannot afford to bring him back.

How Will the Ballparks Play in Terms of Home Runs During the World Series?

Eric Risberg/Associated Press

The San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals have a few things in common. One of the most obvious things that will impact this year's World Series will be the expansive ballparks they both play in.

According to ESPN's 2014 Park Factor ratings, both parks ranked well below average for home runs allowed per game. In fact, both parks boast less than one home run per game, and AT&T Park in San Francisco was the worst ballpark to hit home runs in during the 2014 season.

This provides a fun exercise when looking at "the game within the game" of baseball. Simply put, how many home runs will be hit in the World Series, and when will the first home run be recorded? Goldberg replied:

"This is the playoffs, where anything and everything happens, especially the unexpected, so I say 30 home runs in seven games total. No, make it 40 in a four-game sweep. Seriously, though, AT&T yielded nine in five playoff games. Kauffman has seven homers in four contests. Let's set the over/under at nine total homers although a sweep would yield less. First game with a homer? No way Bumgarner/Shields at the K features a homer, right? Common sense? Okay, I say a homer in Game 1."

The Royals will look to maximize their speed to offset their power numbers. They have successfully navigated that type of game for the entirety of the season. That said, they have found some power during the postseason. A home run in Game 1 may be a stretch, but anticipate a long ball before the teams leave Kansas City.

The World Series kicks off Tuesday night in Kansas City. The Royals and Giants will square off to determine who is the best team in Major League Baseball for the 2014 season. All the strategy, production and decisions will be put to test at that time.

Questions will be answered. Possibly the biggest question of all will continue to loom. 

Just how far can the Royals go this season?

Bill Ivie is the founder of i70baseball.com. Follow him on Twitter to discuss all things baseball related.